Legendary, iconic etc… Those words are too often used when a photographer leaves us. But, a few days ego, Eikō Hosoe left us and in his case those words are relevant and so are many more.
We choose to celebrate him by showing again today one of his most important body of work, (Barakei) Ordeal by Roses.
In 1963, Hosoe was barely 30 years old and collaborated with another legend, the author Yukio Mishima to create a series of photographs that are today as amazing and powerful as when they created an international sensation at the time.
The screen you watch doesn’t give them justice.
Years ago, I had the privilege to look at the original prints, holding them after I acquired at auction a complete set of the series for a friend of mine, this was at Christie’s in New York.
This was an epic battle. Do you remember, Philippe?
Writing that the prints were hypnotic would be an understatement.
There is much more than Barakei when talking of the work of Eikō Hosoe, still it is to him what Citizen Kane was to Orson Welles.
After looking at Hosoe’s images, another treat.
Back in 1979, in Arles, Hosoe was giving a nude workshop during the Rencontres, and our collaborator, Jacques Revon, was around with his camera.
He sent me his shots yesterday evening, here they are for you this morning.
Gilles Decamps
